Is Wine.com Legit?
What Wine.com does
Wine.com is an online retailer that sells wine, spirits, and related accessories. It offers a large catalog from mainstream and boutique wineries, curated collections, subscription-style clubs, product reviews and ratings, and nationwide shipping where state laws permit. The company acts as a direct retailer and fulfillment partner (sometimes working with third-party warehouses and carriers) to deliver alcohol to consumers across many U.S. states.
official website: https://www.wine.com
contact info: Customer service and up-to-date contact options (phone, email, live chat, help center) are published on the site’s Help/Contact pages. Wine.com is a U.S.-based business (headquartered in the San Francisco/Bay Area region) and lists customer-service channels on its website—check the site footer or Help link for the current phone number and email.
Reviews and Ratings
- Major review platforms: Wine.com is widely reviewed on Trustpilot, Google Reviews, Yelp, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Overall sentiment tends to be mixed-to-positive: many customers praise selection, competitive prices and product availability.
- Common positive notes: broad wine selection, useful search/filters, helpful product detail pages and user reviews, good packaging in many shipments.
- Common negative notes: shipping delays or carrier damage (especially during busy seasons), order cancellations for state-law or inventory reasons, and occasional customer-service responsiveness concerns.
- Ratings vary by platform and over time—check current Trustpilot, Google and BBB pages for up-to-date scores and recent customer comments before buying.
Transparency and Registration
- Licensing and legality: Legitimate U.S. alcohol retailers must follow federal and state alcohol shipping laws. Wine.com operates under the licenses and permits required to ship alcohol, but availability and delivery practices differ by state—some states restrict direct-to-consumer wine shipments entirely or require in-state fulfillment.
- Age verification and responsible sales: Wine.com implements age verification at delivery (and on checkout) and includes terms about legal purchase ages and responsible drinking in its policies.
- Policies posted online: Wine.com publishes Terms of Use, Shipping & Returns, Privacy Policy and FAQ pages. Read these for details on refunds, cancellations, damage claims, and state-specific rules before placing an order.
Red Flags or Complaints
- Shipping & state restrictions: Orders may be canceled or delayed because of state shipping restrictions; customers sometimes report unexpected cancellations after checkout.
- Carrier damage or delays: Alcohol shipments can be damaged in transit or delayed by carriers; document issues immediately (photos, timestamps) to support claims.
- Customer service variability: Some customers report slow responses or difficulty resolving refunds/credits—persistent unresolved issues are often escalated through the payment provider, BBB or state consumer protection.
- Scam/impersonation risk: Scammers sometimes create fake sites or phishing emails that mimic Wine.com. Always confirm the domain (wine.com), use HTTPS, and avoid transferring money outside standard checkout methods (no wire transfers, gift cards, etc.).
Conclusion
Overall: Yes—Wine.com is a legitimate, long-established online wine retailer with a large inventory and many satisfied customers. It is subject to state shipping laws and carrier limitations, which cause the most common sources of complaints (delays, cancellations, or fulfillment issues). To reduce risk, review the site’s shipping and return policies before ordering, confirm your state’s shipping rules, keep order documentation, and contact customer service promptly if anything goes wrong. If you encounter unresolved problems, use your payment provider’s dispute process and consider filing a complaint with the BBB or your state’s consumer protection or alcohol regulatory agency.